An Odd Way to be
by Smite1
Summary: AU-ish. One evening, shinichi awakens screaming in his home. What happened? Title still being worked out...
1. ART

AnuAngel

The name is really still not together yet....

Shinichi Kudo was never one for art, other than using them as victims of mystery book crimes or fakely swooning over them, his parents didn't either. So why was there more and more art showing up in his home?

Well the answer was fairly simple, some aquaintences didn't really like his parents or were just being an ass, and trying to get the idiots into trouble. A Ms Vineyard and a Mister Kuroba.

Not that Shinichi knew yet.

One night, Shinichi had awoken to voices in the LARGE, which was an understatement, kitchen. He'd snuck quietly, it was his house, he knew how to sneak out of it, he just rarely did, to just outside the OPEN door.

Who would leave it open? Oh right, some stupid burgular that needed to escape quickly if they got caught. Well, too bad. That wasn't going to happen.

These two didn't seem to be stealing anything from the Kudo house though.

"Mine's here." The taller, definitely male, not-burgular said, a grin evident in his voice. "Is your's ready to put in?" he asked his possible companion.

"Of course," the second figure, female, chirped. "Yuki-chan is going to be so surprised. When she gets accused of taking this!" she said sickly sweetly, motioning to what Shinichi could see was ANOTHER piece of stupid art.

He'd recognised the two by now. The first was Touichi Kuroba, a of rival of Shinichi's Dad, they liked butting each other's heads together on a regular basis and seeing who got caught. Kind of like his son and Shinichi did.

The second, was Sharon Vineyard. A some-what friend/actress rival of his mother. She just liked being a pain. Shinichi swore she had a vendetta or something against his family. She's learnt costume with Yukiko Kudo under the direction of Mr. Kuroba.

There was a question, why weren't they wearing a disguise or at least something to make them less recognisable? A beanie would have been enough. Or gloves. You could see Touichi's burns from an accident on his hands.

Shinichi rolled his eyes, however. It was pointless trying to pin stealing stuff like that on his parents. For starters, they weren't in the country and these were magically appearing every night, much to Shinichi's displeasure. And everyone knew that any crime committed within a 5 _block radius_ of him was solved down to a T. His parents, and these two, weren't that stupid. They were cruel, but not stupid.

Deciding that this could wait a night or two, Shinchi went back to bed. They'd been bringing stuff for a week. They probably had a lot more. If Shinichi was right they were doing this for kicks.

The following night, Shinichi didn't bother getting out of bed. He'd planted a very well hidden baby radio, he was resourceful, in the kitchen. He'd heard them say it had the most free space, so it was a good place to plant them.

'What's this?' Touichi said, probably motioning the note he'd written to Sharon. He wasn't there, so he wasn't sure.

' _'I know.'_ ' The woman read. 'Oh darn, Shin-chan knows. He's such an _angel_ to tell us.' she laughed. It sounded hollow.

Touichi had picked up on that. It worried him. 'Well, we're done here. Let's go and bring the rest tommorrow.' he'd tried, to the woman, who was prone to very strange actions.

She'd nodded, at least Shinichi guessed. He heard them heading in different directions. But both still leaving.

Not that he was scared, no, Shinichi wasn't scared. He'd planted a radio so he wouldn't get caught, two against one wasn't fair, even if the one could kick and scream like hell until somebody came to help.

But he didn't get back to sleep the rest of the night, he thought something was watching him. When his mind finally fell into slumber, it was already bright outside, probably noon, but hey he hadn't had any sleep, and it was a weekend, who cared?

Late in the afternoon, just before dusk. A woman crept into the house, after picking the locks.

She crept up to the teenager's room. Now, wouldn't a teen, even if introverted, be awake then? Well, normally yes. But she knew he hadn't slept. She'd watched him for most the night and he probably hadn't slept since the night before when he'd heard them. She'd figured he'd be asleep. He'd try to catch them at night.

'Oh, Shin-chan. You shouldn't have told me. I'm not about to let myself get caught on _this_ side of the law.' She laughed quietly, telling the unconicious boy,'This is a new poison, not even tested on humans. You're the first, lucky you.', as she slipped a capsule down his throat and following it with water to force him to swallow. Then she planted more art in the house. Just so she didn't have to show up when Touichi came and possibly discovered the most likely dead by then boy.

The poison took a while to enter Shinichi's system, it was almost midnight before it started acting. He woke screaming in pain, as the burning sensation reached every part of his being.

Touichi Kuroba was concerned about two people.


	2. Discovery

Touichi Kuroba was concerned about two people. Both of which should have been there.

He'd come to confront Sharon and tell her to stop before she did something irreversible. She hadn't shown up. Well she had, but she'd left before he got there. He knew that much.

He'd come to help Shinichi, even if the kid thought he was just as much to blame as her. He wouldn't deny he'd done it. But the kid didn't seem to be there either. Either he was hopefully asleep, or she'd already done it.

The scream that wailed from upstairs was both comforting and distressing at the same time. It meant Shinichi was alive, but maybe not for much longer.

Regardless, Touichi Kuroba actually cared about the Kudos, and Shinichi was the same age as Kaito, and they were friends like Yuusaku and himself. He wouldn't be able to look Kaito in the eye if anything happened to Shinichi.

Having visited numerous times in the past, he knew where the boy's room was. He'd yelled to Shinichi to hold on, as the screaming died. He swung the door to get to the boy as soon as possible.

He stopped. He blinked. He stared.

Although obviously in pain as he'd expected the occupant of the room to be, it didn't look like the occupant how it was supposed to. It was a seven year old boy, if Touichi's eyes were telling him right.

He was swimming in clothes that were definitely Shinichi's but that was the problem. Where was Shinichi? And who was this kid? Sure, he looked like Shinichi when he was little, but Shinichi was the one screaming. The kid glared.

'What? You come when you think I'm dying, but you don't tell me when you're pranking my dad?' The kid complained groggily. Touichi looked at him, completely confused.

'Boya, what are you talking about?' he asked confused. The kid flicked his head in a very Shinichi-like fashion to glare.

'Boya?' he asked snappishly. 'What the hell are you talking about, Tou-jichan? It's me, Shinichi.' he stressed very slowly, pointing to himself through the layers of clothes swimming on him. Then made a noise very close to an 'eep', in surprise.

Then...He swore, a lot. Heck, it would rival Nakamori's rants, anyone from Ekoda would agree. Some of it sounded like it had come straight from Nakamori's dictionary. But it was a very un-little-kid vocabulary.

'Holy-! What the heck is going on?' he asked through the waterfall of other curses coming out of that mouth.

'Calm down boya. I need you to explain what you're doing in Shinichi's room.' Touichi said, trying to stop the volume of the kid going any higher.

'I'm in my room, because I was sleeping to catch you two tonight!' the kid said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.' And I'm not a boya! I'm freaking seventeen and you know it! I'm older than Kaito! I swear if this is somehow one of your magic tricks, I'm going to kick both of your asses.'

Touichi kind of grinned. Only kind of because, how the hell was Shinichi phsyically seven? But at least he was relatively alright.

'Shinichi-kun, if it really is you... I didn't do anything. I heard you screaming and came to help you. When I got here, well you might want to look in a mirror...' he trailed off. He hadn't moved any closer for fear of freaking out the child. But if this kid was Shinichi, the size difference might freak him out more.

Shinichi complied, falling off his bed. Then staggered over to his mirror, that was normally just a little taller than him. Right now though, it was easily twice his size, but that wasn't what he was looking at... well, hitting actually.

He saw the seven year old face and how it followed what he felt his face was doing. He pinched himself, a little sting but not much. He punched himself. Ow. Touichi came over, just for a laugh and pinched his cheek.

'You're not dreaming Shinichi-kun.' he said as Shinichi yelped out of the grip. 'I'll take you home.'

'I am home.' Shinichi pointed out.

'Not if anybody comes here and sees you. You don't have any siblings, and you're seventeen, not seven, which is what you look like.' Touichi pointed out to the shrunken teen.

'I'm not going. You know Kaito'll rub it in my face.' Shinichi whined. It was true, but Shinichi couldn't do anything about it. Touichi had already picked him up and had an almost vice grip on him, heading out the door. 'You're going to look like you're kidnapping me.' he pointed out. Touichi had just smiled.

'No I'm not. Nobody's going to see it like that. You're going to pretend to be asleep. And you're my son.' Touichi laughed, wrapping his jumper over Shinichi's torso. His ex-boxers looked like baggy shorts on his diminuative frame. Shinichi just rolled his eyes and went with it.

* * *

A/N: Sorry, I really just got to point this out. Any reviews give me great incentive to continue a story, so please send them if you'd like to see anymore. I really can't help it.


	3. Kuroba's Abode

Sorry, just have to explain Kaito's mum's name. I don't know what it is if she has one, so I kind of made one up. I happen to like it, so I'm keeping it fairly regular until proven otherwise. But in this she's refered to as Minaki.

分明希

Also be aware that I actually know nothing of japanese language or naming proporties, so if this name is unrealistic, please go easy on me.

Also, everything I've learnt about Touichi is of course secondhand, so I'm mainly making my own assumptions on his personality and patterns, so try to constructive if you're going to critise.

And sorry this chapter is a tad longer than the last. I couldn't cut it off half way through where I wanted to.

* * *

Minaki Kuroba was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when Touichi swaggered in, carrying a weight almost hidden in a jacket. The weight started glaring at the Kurobas as soon as nobody else could see them.

Minaki had no idea why. 'Touichi, where were you last night? Where did you find this kid? And who is he?' The weight stopped glaring at her. And solely focused it's glare, with full 17 year old force on Touichi.

The weight's head popped out of the jacket. It was a familiar head, but it shouldn't have look like that anymore. It then pointed accusingly at Touichi.

'He practically kidnapped me, don't you dare laugh Tou-jichan, after he heard me screaming and came into my room, AFTER he broke and entered into my house to get my dad accused of stealing!' it yelled. Minaki glared at her husband, waiting for an explanation, she thought it was some random kid.

'It's Shinichi!' Touichi lamely defended.

'What's Shinichi?' another voice called. A 17 year old that looked almost identical to Shinichi, minus the unruly hair, was standing at the top of the staircase that lead to the bedrooms. Then he caught sight of mini-Shinichi. Not noticing that he was wearing boxer's as shorts and had his dad's jacket tied on to look half-normal. Or just not caring.

'Oh Tou-chan! Where'd you find him? He looks like a little angel.' He said, ruffling his hair. Shinichi didn't like that.

'#%$^ you, Kaito.' he said simply. Kaito gasped.

'Tou-chan, he's got such a potty mouth. You shouldn't know words like that when you're seven.' Kaito mock-scolded. He liked this kid. And he looked like Shinichi. Touichi and Shinichi yelled at him.

'He's/I'm not seven! He's/I'm seventeen!' they yelled respectively. 'You moron!' Shinichi added.

Kaito looked about the kid in new light. 'That's Shin-kun?' He asked then grinned. 'That's even better!' Then he paused for a second. 'But how?'

Shinichi glared.'No *%(, Sherlock_(Or maybe Lupin, it depends on how accurate you want to be)_. How the hell would I know? I pretty much woke up like this!'

'When?' Kaito asked, thinking of the small frame as Shinichi, even if it looked like some kid.

'Around midnight. I was going to confront your dad and Vineyard-san about all that art junk they were dumping in my house. I'd told 'em I knew. Where was she anyway?' Shinichi answered, then explained the weird time.

Kaito looked at his dad. 'Dad, you went to Shin-kun's house and got caught! You taught me better!'

'Oi, I think it was a good thing he knew otherwise he would have screamed bloody murder, just because I was in his house!' Touichi defended. 'I don't know where she was when I found you, but she'd already been there and put some more ART in your house.'

'Well I slept most the day, because I didn't sleep last night, after hearing her. So I didn't do anything to cause this.' Shinichi pointed out, motioning to his body. 'What I could do to cause this, I have no idea. ... I remember almost chocking, in the late afternoon, I think. Maybe...'

'Well, nothing else happened. Vineyard-san is the only one who could have done something. What I have no idea.' Touichi said, trying not to link it with Pandora. The regression to youth could be part of the immortality associated in its legend. But Sharon wasn't part of _them_, was she?

'Unless she's part of _them_.' Kaito pointed out voicing Touichi's thoughts. 'You know its possible. I mean _he_ thinks I'm you and he's you too. Sure I think he's lost it, but think about it. It's them.'

'Who's _he_?' Shinichi asked intrigued. There were only a few people that were thought to be their predecessors.

Sure, Shinichi could normally do his dad, but now that would be a problem and Kaito ,well, it depended on the outfit.

His build wasn't as broad as his father, the clothes needed to be supported for him to do it, like a suit. Shinichi though of what seemed to be familiar face behind a monocle, that he was 90% sure was a different face to the one 8 years ago, that had mysteriously stopped stealing for those 8 years aswell.

And the fact the sniper seemed spooked, when he'd seen Shinichi and the suited _man,_ the first time, a voice was ringing in his head.

_'You, you're dead! You DO have Pandora!' he'd yelled at Shinichi, then turned to the suited man, 'You're him!'he yelled pointing from him to Shinichi._

_Shinichi was offended.'Oi, I'm not KID!' The monocled, suit clad man grinned in a toothy grin that was well known to all. It was also known as a poker face, when things were going wrong for certain Kuroba's. Hmm, suspicious much?_

What was that guy's name? Snake or something?

'Is he Snake?' Shinichi asked sweetly. Although normally, he would have looked only half-innocent, now on a seven year old face, it looked completely innocent. Even though they knew it wasn't.

Touichi wasn't concerned about Shinichi's real, or not, innocence. 'KAITO! You told him about Snake!' He quietly roared at his son.

'And you just dropped your poker face.' Shinichi pointed out to both of the male Kurobas. 'If you put '-chan' on that nickname, Kaito-kun, and I will use one of Agasa-hakase's experiments on you.' Shinichi was going to have to get Agasa to believe him first. But that was easy enough, he always did something random that Shinichi could tell that nobody else could.

Kaito coughed, to cover that he'd been going to say it. 'Well, Shin-kun. If she is part of them, she probably tried to poison you, but it screwed up. Or its got to do with Pandora.'

'Who are _they_?' Shinichi asked. It was kind of vague.

'A large organisation that, aside from trying to shot down KID for a stupid legend, every time he gets a jewel.' Touichi began.

'And have their hands dipped in every illegal activity, YOU can think of,' Kaito continued, directing it at Shinichi, 'and then some.' _And you can think of alot..._

Shinichi recalled a pair of men dressed in black, that he'd tailed one day and witnessed, very luckly under a lot of cover, a blackmailing job, the two had been involved in, at a theme park no less. It'd been after he'd thought they were suspicious being on a roller coaster, but obviously not being there for relaxation.

The stocky, and stupider, one had been named by the taller blond one as Vodka. The blond had been called Gin, then had glared at his partner for saying it. They hadn't actually shot a single bullet, but Gin had had a rather obviously trained aim on the blackmailed's head.

Now if he'd been able to record it, he'd immediately would have gone to the police, but there wasn't any proof if Shinichi was right. The blackmailed wouldn't say anything in fear and there was a fair chance the guys would walk, because although Shinichi's word was trusted, it wouldn't hold in court.

'I wonder if Gin and Vodka are in it...' Shinichi said aloud, 'Their group's codenames were alcoholic though. Gin, Vokda, Bourbon, Vermoth.'

'Well, Snake could actually be 'Snakebite', that's alcoholic. And your problem, although unlikely, seems related to their Pandora myth. It's about immortality.' Kaito offered. It was kind of up in the air, but no proof, so nothing else to go by.

'Either way, Shinichi-kun,' Touichi said, crouching to be closer to Shinichi's eye-level. 'You can't go home. We can go back to pick some essentials for you but you can't stay. We can probably tell Agasa-hakase, if only to keep people from looking for you, but you'll have to stay somewhere else.'

'Why doesn't he stay here?' Kaito quickly asked. 'We can say he's my little brother.' It was passable, they did look alike. It had been asked before if Shinichi and Kaito were twins.

"I'm not calling you Nii-san. And if you call me Itouto-chan, I swear I will figure out a way to strangle you with these stupidly tiny hands!' Shinichi threatened, fully meaning it, even if it seemed impossible.

Kaito was honestly scared of that. 'How about we just call each other by our names? It'd just sound like we were close.' he tried weakly. Shinichi nodded.

'I'm still doing detective work.' Shinichi said firmly. Touichi sighed.

'You probably will, you've always been a magnet for trouble. But if you're going to do that, you can't do it as Shinichi. If she is one of them, they _will_ kill you.' Shinichi knew it was true.

'I'll be Conan.' Shinichi said. 'Because I have to change the names if I pick the name I want.' Kaito's face perked up.

'If I get stuck like that, I'm Lupin!' he cried out happily. Touichi then scolded him. Getting shrunk was not a good move. Especially if it then meant Touichi and Minaki suddenly had seven year old twins and no seventeen year old son.

One seven year old could be explained with a distant relative, Two? Not so much.

'Can he still come to KID heists? I don't want to lose Tantei-kun as an audience. Even if he has to be snuck in, can you bring him?' Kaito pleaded to his dad. Who had smirked.

'I'll make a comprimise. Shinichi can go, if he figures out the riddles. If he doesn't he can't go. If he does, he's allowed free reign as soon as he gets inside.'


End file.
